I think there are levels. The shift from TNG Trek to the new opened by JJ Trek, folks never so enamored by Trek at all, and those for whom Trek is just another show. Over the years, I've grown quite weary of the Trek as the 'Non Plus Utra of Sci Fi' crowd. There is a lot to like in Trek, but there's a lot to like elsewhere, too.

I think there are levels. The shift from TNG Trek to the new opened by JJ Trek, folks never so enamored by Trek at all, and those for whom Trek is just another show. Over the years, I've grown quite weary of the Trek as the 'Non Plus Utra of Sci Fi' crowd. There is a lot to like in Trek, but there's a lot to like elsewhere, too.

I think there are levels. The shift from TNG Trek to the new opened by JJ Trek, folks never so enamored by Trek at all, and those for whom Trek is just another show. Over the years, I've grown quite weary of the Trek as the 'Non Plus Utra of Sci Fi' crowd. There is a lot to like in Trek, but there's a lot to like elsewhere, too.

Click to expand...

What does "non plus ultra" mean?

Click to expand...

Well it depends on where you put the breaks.

Nonplus Ultra is different from Non plusultra.

Remember how Roman numerals work?

Historically... This sounds like Orwellian newspeak.

In the book they were trying to control the shape of language, reducing the size of the dictionary, so that heresy against Big Brother was impossible to put into words or thought.

In the movie, they thought that by gradually reducing the language and the size of the dictionary, that mankind would eventually have no language and become telepathic.

Which is what they based goodfacts and truefacts on in the final episode of season 4, deconstruction of falling stars, where the hologram Garibaldi ignited the nuclear apocalypse 500 years in the future.

I think there are levels. The shift from TNG Trek to the new opened by JJ Trek, folks never so enamored by Trek at all, and those for whom Trek is just another show. Over the years, I've grown quite weary of the Trek as the 'Non Plus Utra of Sci Fi' crowd. There is a lot to like in Trek, but there's a lot to like elsewhere, too.

Click to expand...

What does "non plus ultra" mean?

Click to expand...

Better than anything else.. nothing could surpass this. No further more, Seven is the Non Plus Ultra of Trek pulchritude.

Stranger in a Strange Land is a lot livelier than something like Time Enough for Love or I Will Fear No Evil or even Number of the Beast. But in the end it's all about imagining yourself with superpowers because you're so much better than other people. It's quite a mind-blowing experience if you're thirteen years old (as I was when it read it,) particularly if you come from a strongly evangelical home.

As an adult? Don't see how it could be worth much. Despite my sentimental regard for childhood reading of other Heinlein books, I can't say the world would have lost much if everything after The Moon is a Harsh Mistress had been lost. I've learned how derivative of Twain, Mencken, London, Shaw Heinlein's style was, but when it's your first exposure, it was enthralling.

I dutifully read a lot of Heinlein when I was a teenager because that is what science fiction fans did. I despised everything other than Podkayne of Mars which I loved and read several times. I bought a copy of it in a garage sale several years ago and found it was utterly dreadful, unreadable.

I hope this doesn't happen should I ever try and reread A Princess of Mars which I loved much much more..